Honing unit



Jan. 5, i965 R. R. WHEELER 3,163,965

Home@ Um'r Filed pril 1, 1965 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 l l l 8 m I 77 E NES Hy/wow KHLFH L/HEELEQ Jan. 5, 1965 R. R. WHEELER 3,163,965

HONING UNIT Filed April 1, l953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,163,965 HONEJG UNIT Raymond R. Wheeler, 114 18th St. S., Great Falls, Mont. Filed Apr. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 269,536 8 Claims. (Cl. 51-156) This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending United States patent application No. 255,244, filed January 31, 1963, and entitled Honing Unit for Rotary Shavers, and of my copending application Serial Number 54,960, tiled September 9, 1960, which became forfeited on April 5, 1963.

The present invention relates to a honing unit which is adapted to sharpen the spoked rotary cutter of a rotary shaver.

An object of this invention is to provide a honing unit for the spoked rotary cutter of a rotary shaver which permits honing of the cutter Whilst said cutter is engaged upon and being driven by the conventional drive shaft of the shaver.

A second object of this invention is toprovide a honing unit which incorporates means operative to retain the spoked rotary cutter safely in position whilst being rotated for honing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a honing unit constituted entirely by an abrading means and a means for safely retaining the spoked rotary cutter in position thereon whilst being rotated for honing.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a honing unit incorporating two abrading means and safety retaining means of different diameters.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a iirst embodiment showing a rotary cutter in position for honing;

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal section of a second embodiment showing a rotary cutter in position for honing; g

FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal section of a third embodiment showing a rotary cutter in position for honing;

FIG. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a fourth embodiment showing a rotary cutter in position for honing;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a honing unit comprising a cupashaped carrier 1 having a cylindrical wall 2 and a plane base 3 closing one end. The other end is open.

To the rim surface 4 of the cylindrical wall, at the open end of the carrier 1, there is secured, as by adhesive, bonding or other equivalent means, a ring S of abrasive material suitable for honing of the cutting edges 6 of the blades 7 of a spoked rotary shaver cutter 8. The cutter 8 is shown as mounted in conventional manner on the motor-driven shaft 9 of an electric razor 10, the shaft 9 and a corresponding aperture of the cutter being polygonal or provided with one or more dats for rotary drive.

On the open upper end of the carrier 1 there is mounted, a retaining cap 11 the cylindrical wall 12 of which is so dimensioned as to 'be a push-tit over the external surface of the wall 2 of the carrier. The plane end surface 13 of the cap includes an aperture 14 into which the body of the shaver 1li enters. The irmer and outer diameters of the set of blades 7 of the cutter are such that the whole width of each cutter blade abuts against the exposed surface of the ring 5, but the internal diameter of the wall 12 of the cap is very slightly greater than that of the cutter whereby the cutter may rotate with clearance within the cap, but the cap acts as a guide and centering device for the cutter.

Bglhb Patented dan. 5, 1965 ICC It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of manufacturing honing surfaces that the ring 5 of abrasive material could be replaced by a ring of a mounting material, such as a synthetic resinous plastic, on the exposed upper surface of Which is mounted an annulus of an abrading material. Such ring could likewise be omitted entirely and a suitable honing surface formed directly on the end of the carrier 1.

The cap 11 :acts as a safety device in that it is made a sufficiently tight lit onto the carrier 1 to avoid unintentional removal, and whilst it is in position it ensures that the rotary cutter cannot fiy out of position.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown another embodiment of honing unit wherein an abrading ring is engaged on a carrier mechanically instead of by adhesive,

. bonding or the equivalent. ln this embodiment, a carrier 15 has its cylindrical wall 16 formed, at the open upper end, with an inturned radial annular flange 17 on the smaller diameter of which there is formed a cylindrical wall 1S. The iiange 17 serves `as a seating for a honing ring l? the internal diameter of which is somewhat greater than the external diameter of the wall i8, so as to leave a gap 2u. In the wall 13, at four symmetrically circumferentially spaced points thereof, there are punched outwardly four tongues 2l the tips of which initially lie at a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the abrading ring i9. The ring 19 can accordingly be forced into the position shown, and will be retained in that centered position by the pressure exerted by the tongues. Nevertheless, if a new ring should be required, or if the ring is to be inverted to permit use of its other end face for honing purposes, the ring can be forced off with a tool and the same ring or another replacement ring re-engaged onto the tongues. The carrier 15 would conveniently be made of a suitably stiff but resilient metal. The retaining cap 11a is a push-fit onto the external face of the honing ring and of the cylindrical wall 16 of the carrier, but leaves an internal clearance with respect to the spokes 7a of the cutter 8a.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a further embodiment wherein the entire carrier is made of an abrasive material. In this embodiment, a cylindrical cup-shaped carrier 22 with a plane lower end wall and an open upper end is made entirely of a suitabie abrasive honing material. The retaining cap tlb is a push-fit onto the external face of the cylindrical wall of the carrier, but leaves an internal clearance with respect to the spokes '7b of the cutter Sb.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a fourth embodiment of honing unit wherein the carrier is provided with two honing rings of different diameters, and with safety caps of different diameters, so that the same unit may be utilised with two kinds of rotary cutter having different diameters. In this embodiment, a carrier 23 made of metal, plastic or other convenient material is formed with a first cylindrical portion 24 of larger diameter and a second cylindrical portion 25 of smaller diameter, `these portions being joined by a conical intermediate portion 26. Both ends of the carrier are open. On the end face at the open end `of the portion 24 there is mounted `an abrading ring 27 for honing the cutting edges of the blades 7c of a spoked rotary shaver cutter Sc. A first safety cap llc is made of such dimensions that its cylindrical Wall is a push-fit onto the external face of the cylindrical wall of the portion 24, and it will be seen that the arrangement of abrading ring, safety cap, and rotary cutter corresponds to that shown in FIG. l.

The other portion 25 of the carrier also carries an abrading ring 28 of .smaller diameter on its end face, and a safety cap 29 has a cylindrical wall 3G which is a push-lit onto the external surface of the portion 2S.

The end Wall of the cap is apertured, and it is accordingly similar in `all respects :to the safety cap llc except for being of smaller diameter.

In this ligure of the drawing, the safety cap 3% is shown as pushed fully home axially onto the portion 25 off the carrier, this being a convenient position when the smallerdiameter end of the honing unit is not in use. lt will be appreciated that, if the smaller-diameter end of the unit is to be put into operation, the cap 3% may be taken oif, a spo-lied rotary cutter introduced with its cutting edges against the honing ring 2S, and the cap pushed back into position to serve as a guide and retainer for the cutter whilst being rotated for honing.

FlG.` 5 shows the parts `of the honing unit of PEG. 4 in exploded perspective view, the electric razor and its spoked rotary cutter being omitted.

It will be appreciated that, for the purpose of receiving and honing the cuttinfy edges of the rotary cutter shown, the abrading surface could equally well be formed on a disc. However, the pnovision of an annular abrading surface, such as that of the rings shown, permits fthe same device to he used also for Itl e honing of the usual stationary skin guard of the electric shaver, such sain guards having an annular channel in which the cutter rotates. The honing rings illustrated may pass intothe channel of the skin guard `and hone its internal face.

A further advantage arises in that the internal and external diameters of the honing ringer surface are made to correspond to Athose dimensions of the cutter itself. This avoids the formation of a groove, as would occur if the cutter simply rotated on Ka large plane eld of abrasive material. Accordingly, yany slight lateral shifting of the cutter during rotation and honing does not result in the cutting edges coming suddenly up against a pirotruding portion of the abrading surface.

The formation of the safety retaining cap with a large y enough aperture to receive the entire end of the electric razor itself ensures that the user is able to apply manually exactly the amount of pressure that he desires, and it is not necessary to rely, for honing pressure, on the light compression spring which is provided conveniently in such Shavers to urge the cutter against the spring guard.

I claim:

l. A honing unit for honing a cutter comprising, in combination, an elongated carrier having a cylindrical external surface adjacent one of its ends, an abrading ring mounted at said end of tie carrier and having an exposed abrading surface normal to the axis of the cylindrical surface of the carrier, and a retaining cap; including an apertured end Wall for admission of drive means, and `a depending side Wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally the cylindrical external surface of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abrading surface.

Y 2. A honiivT unit, as claimed in claim l, wherein the abrading ring is secured by adhesive to the carrier.

3. A honing unit, as claimed in claim l, wherein the abradng ring is bonded to the carrier. g

4. A honing unit, as claimed in claim l, wherein the abrading ring is mechanically engaged on the carrier.

5. A honing unit for honing a cutter comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow carrier having a cylindrical external surface 'adiacent one of its ends, said car- Iier including at that end a radial inturned flange and a cylindrical wall of smaller diameter on said liange, an `abrading ring mounted on the wall of smaller diameter said ring having an exposed abrading surface normal to the axis ci' the external cylindrical surface of the carrier, and a retaining cap, including an apertured end Wall for admission of drive means, and a depending side wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally the cylindrical external surface of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abrading surface.

6. A honing unit for honing a cutter comprising, in combination, an elongated carrier having a cylindrical external surface adjacent one of its ends, said carrier made of an abrasive material and having an annular abrading surface exposed at said end and normal to the axis of the cylindrical external surface, and a retaining cap, including an apertured end wall for admission of drive means, and a depending side Wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally lthe cylindrical external surface of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abrading surface.

7. A honing unit for honing la cutter comprising, in combination, an elongated carrier having a first external cylindrical surface of a first diameter adjacent one of its ends and a second external cylindrical surface of a sccond diameter adiacent the other of its ends, a lirst annular abrading surface ait said first end of the carrier and normal to the axis of said iirst external cylindrical surface, a second annular abrading surface at said second end of the carrier and normal to the axis of said second external cylindrical surface, a first retaining cap, including an apertured end uffall f r admission of drive means, and a depending side wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held Within said cap, engaging externally the first cylindrical external surface of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abrading surface, and a second retaining cap, including an apertured end wall for admission of drive means, and a depending side wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally the second cylindrical surface -of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abrading surface.

8. A honing unit for honing a cutter comprising, in combination, an elongated carrier having a first cylindrical external surface adjacent one of its ends and a second cylindrical external surface of different diameter adir-,cent the other of its ends, a first abrading ring mounted at said first end of the carrier and having an exposed abrading surface normal to the axis of said first cylindrical surface of the carrier, a second -ab'rading ring of that diferent diameter mounted at said other end or" the carrier and having an exposed abrading surface nor mal to the axis of said second cylindrical surface of the carrier, a rst retaining cap, including an apcrtu-red end wal-l for admission of drive means, and a depending side wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally' the rst cylindrical external surface of 4the 'carrier and pressing the cutter against said 4abrading surface, and a second retaining cap, including an anertured Wall for admission of drive means, and a depending side wall to guide a cutter engaged by said drive means and held within said cap, engaging externally the second cylindrical surface of the carrier and pressing the cutter against said abradz'ng surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 

